


Your Ex-Lover Is Dead

by Heart_Wrenchers



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, BDSM, BDSM Scene, Choking, Coffee Shops, Digital Art, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Illustrations, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide attempt, Inspired by Fanart, Inspired by Music, Jasper Lives (Camp Camp), Jasper's perspective, Light BDSM, Light Sadism, M/M, Masochism, Master/Pet, Overstimulation, POV First Person, Pet Names, Puppy Play, and im sorry, bratty pup, i swear to god this is going to be happy, jasper just has Major Trauma, soft dom, this is directly leading to smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 03:47:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,211
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28328481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heart_Wrenchers/pseuds/Heart_Wrenchers
Summary: Jasper decides to go to a party and happens upon a ghost from his past.
Relationships: David/Jasper (Camp Camp)
Kudos: 9





	1. When There's Nothing Left To Burn...

**Author's Note:**

> Title song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5Or6-HOveg&ab_channel=StarsVEVO
> 
> Also all art attached to this fic is my own! Elsenborn on tumblr as well as a mod for daily-jaspvid on tumblr.

Gem insisted this party would be good; that she had seen this band perform before and how great they were live. With nothing better to do, I decided to tag along. After all, finals were over and we were due to celebrate before we headed home for winter break. 

When we arrived Gem was immediately distracted by the punch bowl conversation. From how many people stopped to greet her, I was reminded of how gregarious my friend was compared to me. Not wanting to harsh her style too much, I took my cup of punch towards the dance floor. From the looks of it, the band was starting to set up, so the waiting stereo pumped out indie tunes. 

I idly bopped along to a familiar song when a firm force bumps me from behind. I stagger, holding out my drink to steady it. In the next beat, I feel hands brace my waist to steady me. The hands are warm, firm, but didn’t feel of ill intent. 

“Oh, sorry about that!” Chirped an equally as warm voice. I turn and the hands pop off me like old stickers peeling away. I see an auburn-haired man who offered a genuinely sorry smile. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied abruptly as anxiety swelled in me. Sure, I was expecting to meet a few new people today, but a cute ginger boy right off the bat? I guess Christmas was coming early. 

  


He wore a red button-down and a pair of blue jeans. He appeared to be wearing a band tee, but I can’t figure out who in particular. His face shown with simply the brightest smile I have seen in years. It felt familiar.

“So, uh… you ever see this band before?” I ask after a few awkward seconds of standing together. 

“I haven’t. Honestly, this is the first party I’ve been to this semester. I’ve been pretty busy between classes and student teaching. You?”

“Pretty much the same. I’m studying to be a writer. Not as exciting, I’m sure, but it’s an excuse to spend all my free time reading at home.” I admit with a quick and strained smile. Before he could respond, Gem came upon us with one of her friends. 

“Hey, you two! See, Cathy? I told you they would get along! We didn’t even have to enact the master plan!” Gem exclaimed, causing Cathy to stifle a laugh. 

“David, you’ve met Gem from my psych class,” she motioned to the mutual friend. “So you must be her friend from therapy, was it?”

I shoot Gem a look, which she just shrugged to. Damn psych majors and their gossip. “Yes, Jasper,” I confirm, offering my hand to her. She gives it a firm and professional shake. 

“Isn’t he just the cutest, Cathy? Hes such a little crab! It took me weeks to convince him to come!” Gem lamented. She moved in front of me to adjust my clothing, tugging at my popped collar to lay it down. I grimace, hand twitching with a desire to hide my exposed neck. I see David’s eyes flicker down to my neck before looking away, tension filling into his eyes. That was most people’s reaction when they see the scars there. The polite ones, anyway.

The conversation was cut short by the music lowering and a mic switching on. The band introduced themselves as Florist and began playing their easy, folky tunes to the milling crowd. Gem scurried off through the crowd to get closer while Gem hung back to tap away at her phone. Just as quickly as they came, I was once again left alone with the lithe ginger. I spent most of the set watching him from my peripherals. He swayed gently to the music, expression fixated intently on the band. He seemed to pour all of his focus into them and I could feel the aura force field around him, seeming to block everything else out. 

Before I could fully process his energy the set was already over. The band thanked us for listening and the previous playlist switched back on. By this point, people were beginning to collect their friends and head out. David seemed to be remembering his place among the crowd and looked around. Our eyes catch each other’s and I find my voice springing out before really even considering my words. 

“Hey. You wanna get some coffee?” The words tumble out, and by the time I get to the end of the statement, I can feel myself quivering with unease. If David picked up on this he didn’t show it. 

“Yeah, sure! I’d love to!” He chimed. David caught Cathy’s attention to let her know the plan. I felt a little bad about ditching Gem, but it wasn’t like she seemed very keen on hanging around me. It’s what she would want.

When we stepped outside it was, unfortunately, pouring rain. Freezing rain. I unrolled my sleeves to save myself from the cold a little bit.

“Damn, so much for getting anywhere in this. I’ll call us a Lyft.” We hung out on the porch while I set up the ride. 

Despite the weather, it arrived within minutes. We ducked in, only made mildly damn. Though the cafe was only a few blocks away, it felt longer in the silence. Once again I found myself watching him from the corner of my eye. As we turned the block the side of the road through his window showed the dark abyss of dense forest. His reflection in the window became water-warped, and the familiarity finally clicked. I let out a quick huff of my breath, catching his attention.

  


“Davey?” I asked tentatively. His head snapped up from his phone, eyes wide. He looked like he had seen a ghost. 

“Nobody calls me that. Not since I was a kid - except for Mr. Campbell, but-” He paused, his confused expression shifting to concern as I recoil at the name “Campbell”. Memories of my 11th summer come crashing back to me and I suddenly feel ill. As if on cue, our driver stops to drop us off. I have never been more thankful to stand in the pouring rain.

“Come on, you’ll get soaked to the bone!” David exclaimed, grabbing my hand to pull me into the cafe. 

Thankfully this place had good heating. The cozy cafe had few patrons. Most people were either at parties or already homeward bound to family. We stepped up to order and it wasn’t until the barista gave us a knowing smile that we realized we were still holding hands. Flustered, we take turns ordering our drinks. 

“So… You’re the Jasper I knew all those years ago? From summer camp? It’s been, what, 13 years? Man, it must really be a small world, huh?” He sighed nostalgically. 

“Honestly, I’m surprised I recognized you,” I admit with a shrug. “I guess I remember more about that last summer than I thought. For a long time it was such a blur, to be honest.”

We collected our drinks and headed to a space heater in the back of the cafe. It had a couple of chairs surrounding it that we settled in to. David flopped into his with a heavy, content sigh. I sat more forwardly in mine, resting my elbows on my knees and leaning towards the warmth. I felt numb, like neither the aching cold nor the radiating heat could break through to me. 

“You seem sad.” David’s voice broke through the silence once again. It was low and tender as he leaned over to me.

“I’m fine, really, just… a lot is coming back to me, is all,” I chew on my lip and spoke through grit. “A lot of not great thing happened that last summer we knew each other. Not great things that lead to worse things. It isn’t your fault, of course, It's just… forget it.”

David reached out a hand and placed it on my leg, giving it a squeeze. his eyes scanned as if searching for the right words to say but ultimately decided to remain quiet. We sat like this for a few minutes before I pulled out my phone.

“Hey, can I have your number? I’d like to keep in touch again if that's ok?”

“Of course! I would love to catch up!” Davey perked up as he received my phone and punched in his number. “So, what do you like to write?”

Hours soon had drifted by as we conversed. I soaked in every smile and laugh. Craved every new emotion I could draw out of his expressive being. Anything he had to give, really. Davey radiated with life. It poured out of his being, passion radiating like a star.

Oh, God.

I can’t be falling in love.

I feel my breath hitch as I suck in air. Davey notices and pauses his story to ask if I was alright, only for the clock to ding for 4 am. Shit. 

“You can crash at my place if you’d like.” he offers as we stand. I feel like I am going to faint back into the chair. Clearing my voice and adjusting my flannel, I nod.

“I’d like that more than anything right now.” I reply, taking up his offer and hoping I don’t sound too desperate. Just like that, we set back off into the rain and caught a ride across town to his apartment.


	2. ... You've Got To Set Yourself On Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David invites Jasper back to his place after the party, and they do more than catching up.
> 
> entirely smut and I'm sorry.

We entered the apartment at half-past four in the morning. Despite having been out for most of the evening, I hadn’t really begun to feel drained yet. Probably because my mind was still working overtime trying to process the fact I had just been asked home by my childhood best friend and we had very obviously been stealing looks at each other on the ride over. 

David’s demeanor seemed to change once we got in the lyft. His oblivious aura seemed to melt away into something a lot more aware. Even standing in the landing of his apartment I could tell he was specifically taking his time to remove his overshirt. He looked over his shoulder almost expectantly, waiting for me to do the same. 

“I’ll throw these in the wash! That way it'll be all warm and fluffed by the time you leave tomorrow,” He offered with a warm smile, only this time his eyelids seemed to ease invitingly. “I don’t exactly have a spare room, but if you wanna take the bed I can sleep on the-”

“I’ll take the bed, but only if you join me.” I practically blurt this out. Well, that was fucking stupid. Shock strikes across David’s face and for a moment I fear that I may have misread the last 45 minutes or so of chemistry, only for him to burst into laughter. He leans his head against my chest as he laughs and I know my heart is practically bludgeoning him as it tries to beat out of my chest. 

“Well, that saves me the trouble of trying to fumble around the topic! Normally I don’t even get this far, so,” He takes a step back to wipe a tear from his eye, still chuckling on and off. “It’s weirdly refreshing having someone almost demand it.”

“Oh- no, I- I didn’t mean for that to come out,” I fumble, apprehension threatening to throw itself into full-on panic. “I didn’t mean to sound forceful.”

“It's alright, Jasp,” David insists before pressing his lips against mine. Suddenly all the panic bursts into an overwhelming emotion I can’t quite pinpoint. Really the only thing I can pin is David to the wall, which apparently I had done at some point. He slides a knee snuggly between my legs and I press his wrists more firmly where they are. 

“Is this alright?” I ask when we finally break. I find myself grinding down on his leg and I feel like a needy bastard of a dog. Humiliating, really. He wiggled his wrists and I let go immediately. He giggles again, slipping out from under me. 

“Jasper, really, this is sweet! Come on, let's go to my room.” He beckons me with a hand. As soon as he turns away he begins to pull off his shirt and I do the same with mine. 

“So, uh, what are you into? You don’t seem that uneasy about all this. Is it because we know each other?” Maybe David was just relaxed because of our history. He seemed just as straightforward and gung-ho as he was as a kid. by the time we arrive at his room I am already working off my pants. He pauses by his door, peaking in quickly before throwing it open.

“Needed to make sure I didn’t leave anything lying around, hah! Wasn’t exactly expecting to take anyone home tonight. Well, I’m into all sorts of things! like-” he takes a deep breath only to deflate again. “Maybe I won’t just dump that all on you first thing. Let's just say my interests are… eclectic! I dabble in just about any exciting endeavor that I can!” he kicks off his pants and drops them into a hamper before taking a seat on the bed.

I move forward and pause in front of him, placing my hands tentatively onto his shoulders. he rests his hands on my hips, still beaming up at me. “So what you’re implying is that you’re… Kinky?”

“Yeaah,” he chuckles, his face flushing. “I can do vanilla stuff as well, but I really like the thrill of other stuff! It’s whatever you would like to do, Jasp!” he leans forward to kiss my stomach, rubbing the small of my back with his fingertips. I feel like I’m going to collapse again. 

“I think I want you to use me in any way you like, Davey. I can take a lot.” I point to the claw marks stretching across my chest. He traces them with his fingertips before kissing them as well. I shudder, finally easing down to my knees. 

“Then for tonight will you be mine?” He asks as he gently takes my jaw into his hand. Though the display is clearly dominant, it doesn’t feel particularly threatening. I nuzzle into his hand and nod. “Good. Have you done this before?” 

I pause before nodding again. My mind flits back to the slew of past relationships I’ve had. None very lasting, and a handful outright toxic. I discard these thoughts when he kisses me again. I slide my hands to his inner thighs. “I have. It's been a little while, but I have.”

“Let me guess… you're a masochist and a sub. You’re into knife play, and you enjoy being degraded.” He lists as he traces a few more of my scars. “You distract your pain with sex, don’t you?”

Shocked by the accuracy, I glance up at him. “Yeah? You gonna keep psychoanalyzing me, or are you going to fuck me senseless?” I snap with more bite than I was expecting. He just offers another apologetic smile. 

“Sorry! Force of habit! Really, I don’t think it's so bad I can read you in this way. Beats fumbling around a little if we have a good feeling for each other's interests. Now, was there anything I missed? Anything you don’t like?”

“Well, you were right about me being into degradation. The knife play bit was a little off. Most of these are self-inflicted.” I motion to my neck. “First attempt when I was 14. Sort of devolved after that. Don’t really do things with knives these days, but I don’t mind getting roughed up or choked. You can tie me up, too, if you’re into that.”

“Ah, sorry about that.” He murmurs, stroking my cheek. In an attempt to not completely kill the mood with my own tragic backstory I lean forward to kiss along one of his thighs. His breath catches in a gap and he bops me on the head. “Hey! Bad boy, I didn’t say you could do that yet!”

I yank my head up to give him an offended look. I feel like a dog who just had a bone taken away from me, and just like that the decided dynamic is set. With a little growl and a mischievous sneer I pounce, pinning David to the bed. Before he can even yelp I work my mouth against his neck, leaving a trail of nips and hickies wherever I please. he rakes his nails across my shoulders and I growl again with more ferocity this time. 

“I said bad boy!” He finally manages out, hooking his leg around one of mine and throwing his weight. Suddenly he's pinning me down. his grip is like iron and no matter how hard I fight he won't seem to budge. For a twink he's pretty strong and I begin to realize maybe he is a convincing dom. Wild. “Down! Don’t make me have to get something to thwack you with.” he manages to work both of my wrists into one hand, using the free one to palm at my groin. even through the fabric of my boxers is amazing. My growl turns to a needy whine for more and I find myself wiggling for contact rather than escape.

“Alright. If you stay here for a moment, I’ll give you a treat, ok?” He says in a clear voice, like a teacher directing a young child. That alone feels demeaning and I don't really care to beat myself up over it at the moment. I nod with another small, involuntary whine of strain. “Don’t touch yourself, either. you’re going to have to wait.”

David steps away to his closet. Once his back is turned and he begins to rummage my hands immediately shoot down to palm at myself. My eyes are still trained on him, waiting for any threat of him turning back to me. Unfortunately, he takes longer than I am expecting. Finally lost in the sensation, my eyes flutter closed. I can almost feel myself approaching the brink when I hear a flick. The next thing I feel is a burning sensation rip across one of my thighs and I yelp.

Standing over me is David, arms crossed and frustrated disappointment stricken across his face. “You naughty boy! what did I say?” He hisses, tapping the top of my head with a green crop. The handle appeared to have a vine pattern on it. I dipped my head submissively when he threatened the crop again. “That's what I thought! You didn’t even give me a chance to finish hashing things out. I knew it was right to grab this. Anyway, I have something for you.”

I crane my neck to see what's in his other hand, but he pulls it behind his back. “Ah! Wait a moment! First I need to make something clear. I don't to CNC on the first interaction, so if you tell me to stop I will. The safeword is, um,” he trails off, looking around the room. “Mercy. Sound fair?”

I nod again, pawing at his chest. I notice that he, too, has quite a few scars littering his body. Before I can study them I notice movement with his hands. Soft fur brushes against my neck and I feel something fasten - Oh, I’m being collared. The last scrapes of my humanity begin to drop away as i hear his next words. They come like cloth blowing in the breeze. “Your name is Ghost now, ok? I think that's a cute name for a pup like you.”

My eyes flutter closed. I don’t want to see what he does next. I want the surprise. I hear a little click and a slight tug at the collar. Must be a leash. He tugs it again more steadily and I lean to follow it. He guides me onto my stomach and I bury my face into the pillow, stealing a glance towards him after a few moments. He is tapping the crop against his lips in thought. 

“You do look really cute, and you are being so good now. However, I really should punish you for not following my directions earlier. How are you going to learn without consistent redirection?” In a flurry of motion, he hooks his fingers into the brim of my boxers and swipes them off, cracking the crop down onto my rear just hard enough to sting, but not hard enough to hurt for long. I barely flinch. “Hm, you are a stubborn dog. Well, let's try this then.” He cracks it down again more firmly but I hold face. the next crack pulls a flinch out of me. Finally, after the tenth switch, I yelp out in pain, curling into myself some. He gives one more for good measure before setting the item aside.

“Have you learned your lesson, Ghost?” he asks, brushing his fingers over the puffing red streaks. His touches remain gentle as he guides his fingertips up my spine to the collar, giving it a slight tug. “Up now. Sit for me.”

I do as I am directed, resting upright more in my hip to try and give my sorry ass a break. He kisses my cheek while he rolled the leash around in one of his hands until his knuckle reaches the collar. “Now will you be a good boy and do something for me? as a test of how you’ve learned your lesson?” He works off his boxers and guides me by the neck down to his cock. Without even thinking I give it a few long licks and then take it into my mouth. He hummed approvingly as I worked, my hands pawing at the base. I take my time working down the length, taking breaks to return to licking my treat. I either keep my eyes closed to trained on my work, never daring to glance up at Davey. he scratches gently behind one of my ears in approval. My eyes screw closed as I work down the whole length. My beats became more erratic as I picked up in ferocity. Before long he takes a handful of my hair, pulling my head back.

“Easy now, Ghost,” He said with a strained purring tone. “I don’t want this over so quickly. lay back.” I do as I am told. My hands clawed at my stomach almost hard enough to draw blood. Instead of a whine, I let out a full-on whimper. Completely doggish and pathetic in tone and completely unintentionally so. I have no idea what shame is anymore. All I can focus my mind on is how much I want to keep eating up that cock. 

David just tisks at me, fumbling around in the bedside drawer. “Don’t worry, boy, I got ya!” He cooed very much in the tone of an owner whose pet is begging to go for a walk. “Let me just grab a few things and we can get to the real fun!”

I grumble again rolling onto my stomach. It takes all of my will not to rut into the sheets as my need begins to reach dangerous levels. He gives a small cheer to himself as he pulls out a bottle of lube and a small strip of condoms. He tears one off and drops the rest back into the drawer, knocking it shut with his hip. “Here we go! Now come on, be a good boy and present for me.”

His voice continues to make me lose the rationality I didn't think I still had. I can't figure out how someone can speak so gently and yet with so much power behind it. I slide into the play position on my knees, back arched and clutching a pillow I was currently sinking my teeth into. I hear him fussing around with preparations, humming quietly to himself as he does so. I train on the tune in case I recognize it, only for my train of thought to be interrupted by slicked fingers prodding at me. This time the noise I make is an equal mixture of growl and whine.

“If it gets to be too much and you can’t speak, just tap the bed or me three times, alright?” He directs. It takes me a moment to process, but I nod and commit that to memory as best I can. He gives me a gentle pat with his dry hand while his slicked one begins to work at my entrance. I relax as best I can and he seems to be making easy work of me. Before long he removes his fingers and replaces them with what I’m really here for.

David presses himself in with little effort. I allow myself to yelp and shift my hips around. After a few slow movements, he begins to form a rhythm. My hands ball up sheets as I try to steel myself. After a minute of this steady pace, I finally try to buck back for more.

“Ghost, you needy boy! Alright, you really want more? So soon?” He tugs the leash around and stifles my breath mid-whine. He picks up his pace for a few thrusts only to slow again, interchanging them. “If I let you touch yourself I’m afraid you’ll be done too quickly. Unless you like that feeling. Do you, Ghost?”

I try my best to nod and he seems to notice. With a sigh, he pats my still tender rear again. “Alright, then. Go ahead. But if you get overstimulated that's your own fault! I’m not stopping.” I already have a hand on myself before he finishes his statement. I can feel his energy shift again, clearly a little miffed. As punishment for my overeagerness this time he quickens his pace. My hubris almost immediately gets the best of me and I work myself to a quick finish. The vice grip I have on the pillow with my teeth doesn’t relent as I muffle a howl of ecstasy. 

Davey, however, did not relent for a second. My voice soon turns desperate as the pluses of pleasure twisted into a staticky ache of overstimulation that radiated with each thrust. My mind fogged over completely and my eyes blur with tears. I hadn’t even realized he had finished until he pulled out of me and reached to remove the leash. I could feel him leaving kisses on my cheek and down to my shoulder. 

“Ghost? Are you alright?” he asked as he took me into his arms. I pressed my face against his chest to listen to his still racing heartbeat, and it was then that I realized I was choking out sobs. He continued to stroke my hair and hum gently, easing me down from the scene without letting me fall. 

“Do you want me to remove the collar?” He asks after I start to calm down. I shake my head.

“Are you satisfied?” I nod.

“Did I hurt you or go too far?” I shake my head again, finally able to pull away long enough to kiss him.

“Will you stay nonverbal like this for a while?” There were no notes of annoyance or inconvenience in his voice. Only tenderness. I shrugged before nodding in a “probably” fashion.

“Alright. Take as much time as you need.” He waited until I had fully calmed down before stepping away to get us cleaned up. Once he settled in he offered me water. “Drink this and we can settle in for bed, ok?”

I do as I am told and allow him to finally remove the collar. With that, I shed the last bits of that new persona and slide back into the once I had been building up before. I finish my drink and set the glass on the nightstand.

“Thank you,” I finally manage as I settle into his arms. He kisses my brow while he fastens an arm firmly around me.

“Of course, Jasp! I am so glad that you enjoyed yourself.” He chimes. Exhaustion weighs in his voice and I realize my own eyes are starting to droop. He pulls away just far enough to switch off the light. 

We nuzzle into each other’s arms and for the first time in a long time I feel… Alive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what the *hell* happened.
> 
> I was not expecting this to come out LIKE THIS and I have had to add so many frickin tags.


	3. Live Through This and You Won't Look Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper wakes beside his childhood best friend and reflects on all the years between then and their last meeting.

I awake slowly the next morning and nuzzle deeper into the pillow. It takes me a moment to recognize there is someone holding me in place, and another moment to recall where I was. I roll over to my companion to idly watch him sleep. He was peaceful, completely relaxed. I notice all the marks I left on him and for a moment felt apologetic. 

After only a few minutes of totally not weird watching, I slide my way out of his hold. At some point after I had fallen asleep he must have thrown our clothing in the wash because I noticed my clothes folded neatly on the dresser. It was a sweet gesture, that was for sure. Instead, I locate a towel in the hallway closet and take a shower.

Not even five minutes into the endeavor I hear the door creek open and David shuffles in. “Mind if I join you?” He asks in a groggy voice.

“Yeah, sure,” I agree, moving aside as he slides in. He wraps his arms around my waist so that he can bury his face in my shoulder from behind. For a few long moments, we just let the water wash over us. We had no words. I don't even think either of us had many thoughts at the time. With a gentle kiss, he pulled away.

“Did you sleep alright? Honestly, I wasn’t really expecting you to hang around this morning.” He admitted sheepishly. I turn around to kiss his cheek.

“Why wouldn't I? I told you I still wanted to catch up, and it's not like we did much talking last night. I got cheated out of a good conversation!” I retorted with a smirk. He laughed at that, gentle and bright. 

“We can make breakfast and talk more, then. I’d really like for you to stay longer,” he turned to pick up the shampoo and placed a dollop in his hand before lathering up my hair. My eyes fluttered closed as I enjoyed the pampering. “You can stay as long as you’d like, really. I don’t mind at all.”

“Well, I don’t leave back home until Monday. I can stay until then.” I suggest, mind starting to drift back to the previous night when he gives me a little scratch behind the ear. 

“Sounds like a plan to me!” He chirps, and we enjoy the rest of the wash with more conversation and a bit of fooling around.

Around 9 am we settled in the kitchen. He had a table with a few chairs and a small basket with various snacks and fruit in it. I grab an apple as he starts poking through the kitchen.

“Do you like waffles? I have a waffle maker I haven't had a chance to try out yet.” He suggested, pulling it out from the back of one of his cabinets. 

“Hell yeah, I’ll take some waffles!” I agree as I join him. “What do you need help with? I haven’t made waffles since I was a kid!”

“What was your childhood like?” he asks as he begins to retrieve the ingredients. From my hesitation, I can see concern start to creep onto his face again. 

“Oh, well, it was… fine. My parents are nice, and my older brother is pretty cool. Hes going to have a kid soon, so we’re looking forward to that.” I deflect as smoothly as I can. He seems to take the hint and steers the conversation away.

“That's always fun! I don’t have any siblings. I guess that's why I latched on to you when we were kids! You sort of felt like a brother to me,” He paused for a moment, red striking across his face. “Wait- ok, well, that sounds weird now considering- Oh, gosh…”

I blink at him and raise my brows. “Really now? You gonna rephrase that?” I chastize, nudging his arm with my elbow.

“You know what I mean, Jasper!” he scolds, handing me a bowl. “Here, mix this.”

I do as I’m told, still chuckling. He fusses about looking for other ingredients, finally settling with tossing in a handful of frozen blueberries into the mix. 

“Can I ask you a personal question?” He asks in a delicate voice, not looking at me. 

“Sure,” I allow, having a few feelings of what might come up. I set the mixed batter on the counter and we wait for the waffle maker to warm.

“How did… you get all those scars on your upper arms? And your body. Really just, all over. I mean, I have an idea but-” He exhaled. “And you mentioned the one on your neck.”

“Yeah, I’ve had my struggles growing up. As I said, they're mostly self-inflicted. The one on my neck I did when I was 14. Did a shit job and my brother found me right after I did it. It wasn't very serious since I chickened out mid-cut, but it didn’t stop me from trying other things when I got older. I’ve been in and out of mental hospitals due to attempts, and just my general psyche.” I spill. My expression grows dark and a little cold as I recall, fixating on one of the kitchen tiles as I ramble on. David listens, quiet, waiting for me to finish.

“I’m sorry. I wish I had been there to offer more support, or at least my friendship. I’m sorry I brought it up, we don’t have to talk about it if you don't want to.” He says finally, squeezing my hand. My concentration breaks and I look at him, letting the darkness fall away from me some.

“No, it’s fine. I’m used to talking about it by now. It’s been a long process, but it's gotten easier as I’ve gotten older,” I nudge him aside to begin pouring the batter. “I’ve learned a lot of tools to keep myself grounded.”

“Did it start after… All that happened?” He asked, watching me work.

“Yeah. Having two near-death experiences in one summer does a thing to two to a child’s mind. By all accounts, I should be dead, or at least a lot worse off. Even though I survived I… I never felt like I did. I feel like a big part of me did literally die then and like… I’m a ghost. Like I’m not real and that I shouldn’t be here. Like I need to free my spirit from this world and pass on to the next, wherever that is,” I scoff at myself. Way to sound like a fucking basketcase in front of my childhood crush. “Sorry if this like, changes things. I don’t know, I don’t really talk about this to normal people.”

“Oh, no! It’s fine, really!” He insists, squeezing my hand harder. “I’m glad you’re sharing this with me. It's important. Also, I mean, we did share those experiences together. I didn’t think much of it until I was a lot older how lucky I was that summer, and it always had me worried about you! Wondering how you were. You never came back. Mr. Campbell just swept it under the rug like he does with everything.”

My expression twists in anger and disgust at the mention of Campbell and I take the opportunity to handle the waffle-making again. “Campbell as an ass, and if I never meet him again that’d be great.” I grumble.

Davey scans again as if looking for the right words. “During the summer I actually work there. If you’d like, you can come with me next summer. Maybe being back there will… Help put your soul to rest. It's also an excuse to spend more time together!” 

“Only if Campbell isn’t there, I will.” From his expression dodging away, I had my answer.

“He comes by every now and again. Not often, but there's no way of knowing when he will show up.” He explained, fussing with the cuff of his sleeve. 

“Well, I’ll… I’ll think about it, ok?” I finally reason. He smiles in a slightly strained way, still visibly worried. 

“Please do. Now come on, let's eat while it's still hot!” He finishes plating our breakfast and whisks it away to the table. I take a seat, watching him buzz around setting the table, and grabbing our drinks. Even so soon after waking up, he was full of energy. Even after the heavy conversation, it didn’t ruin his mood. He notices me watching and offers a big, bright grin. I feel like I’m staring at the sun.

We enjoy breakfast. The conversation stays light, mainly about school or our friends. We exchange funny or weird stories from our childhoods. Before long the weekend slinks by and I make my departure home. we keep in touch, but he makes another suggestion; we should become pen-pals. Thinking the idea is cute and nostalgic, I agree and brush off my stationary set once I arrive at my family home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! The end of the prequel series! I'll have a few stories involving Ghost, as well as my main story taking place at Camp Campbell. After that, Dadjaspvid wholesomeness! Thank you for reading!


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